Nintendo confirms actors playing lead roles in 'The Legend of Zelda' live-action movie

Nintendo

has announced the actors who have been cast as the two lead roles for the upcoming live-action film based on the "The Legend of Zelda" video game franchise. Benjamin Evan Ainsworth will portray Link, while

Bo Bragason

has been cast as Princess Zelda in the upcoming movie. In the "Zelda" video games, Link is typically the main character, whose quest involves saving the kingdom of Hyrule from the antagonist Ganon. However, some game iterations have allowed players to control Princess Zelda. It's important to note that Ainsworth's previous roles include Miles Wingrave in Netflix's "The Haunting of Bly Manor" and voicing Pinocchio in Disney's 2022 live-action film. Meanwhile, Bragason has appeared in series such as Disney+'s "Renegade Nell" and the British drama "The Jetty."According to a report by USA Today, both casting selections feature relatively lesser-known actors compared to some of the fan-favourite suggestions. Notably, "Euphoria" star Hunter Schafer was a widely popular choice among fans to portray Zelda, the report claims.

Nintendo’s 'The Legend of Zelda' live-action movie: What we know so far

The Legend of Zelda movie is expected to be the next major Nintendo game adaptation following the massive success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which earned over $1.3 billion globally and became the second highest-grossing film of 2023, just behind Barbie. A sequel to Mario is also in the works and scheduled for release in 2026.

Unlike the animated Mario film, Zelda will be a live-action adaptation. The movie is being directed by Wes Ball, known for the Maze Runner trilogy and 2024’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Ball has long expressed his desire to direct a Zelda movie, even posting back in 2010 on the social media platform X (then Twitter). “Since I could never even hope to have the chance to direct it ... the next big (motion capture) 'Avatar'-like movie should be ... THE LEGEND OF ZELDA,” he wrote.